Insulated container



Jan. 1, 1963 P. L. WALTERS 3,071,282

INSULATED CONTAINER Filed April 20, 1960 Fl'. Q

x: 6 1% 1 --cA/v -6 11-15: 44 60 2 A i IP48 RN w 52 '52 Rm 4u9 xf/o 60ll 50 ---52 l I 46 --CAN 5 58 l2 56 46 i) L J k 54 A l4 6 (I 54 42 PeterL. Walters INVENTOR.

3 BY Ma The present invention relates to certain new and usefulimprovements in a portable canteen-like insulated container, with orwithout a carrying strap or handle, and which is such in constructionthat it may be satisfactorily and effectually utilized in many andvarying ways.

Insulated containers in the category herein under considerationare-often classified as vacuum and thermal-type bottles, jugs, canteensand the like. The instant container, being portable, provided with acarrying handle for bail, may be properly comprehended as belonging tothe group referred to in that, it too, provides an efficient sanitarycontainer construction which is substantially leakproof, easy toopen andclose, virtually indestructible and constitutes an ideal container forpractical utilization when on a picnic, while camping, hunting,traveling and which is ideal for school children when used for receptionof hot lunches, soups, milk and so on.

Stated somewhat more generally, this container may be aptly appropriatedfor use by anyone desiring to comveniently carry hot and cold liquidsand similar commodities without fear or loss by leakage or breakage.

Briefly summarized the novel container embodies an inside containerproviding a commodity receptacle and closed at its bottom and open atits top, an outside jacket encasing and spaced from said container andlikewise having a closed bottom and open top, the space between thecontainer and jacket being packed with insulation material, the upperopen ends of said jacket and container being coplanar and thereforeflush with each other, a packing ring sandwiched between the upper endportions of the container and jacket, said ring resting atop anundcr'lying upper portion of said packing material and the top of thering -being flush with the upper ends of the container and jacket.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention the containerand also the jacket maybe constructed from sheet material such as thinbut sturdy aluminum, commercial plastics of a selected grade and color,the lower portion of the outside jacket being fluted or otherwiseornamentally constructed for rigidity.

The construction also features a readily applicable and removable coveror 'lid having a depending central pluglike portion which telescopesinto the upper open end of the inside container and which is marginallyprovided with suitably arranged bayonet 'slots or equivalent threads.Studs are caused to pierce the upper open end portions of the jacket andcontainer and the intervening endless annular packing ring. 'The innerends of the studs are provided with heads which constitute keys andcooperate retentively with the bayonet slots. The edge portion of thelid or cover has a flange which simultaneously overlies the upper edgeportions of the container, jacket and intervening packing ring.

By using sheet material which is susceptible of being formed, anindented longitudinal groove isprovided in the bottom portion of theshell-like outer jacket and this groove is so arranged and designed,especially in the bottom portion thereof, that it functions as a novelsheath for a bar-like member which is slidingly keyed therein. Moreparticularly, the bar-like member takes the form of a beer can punch theshank of which is slotted and keyed in the groove, the outer open endportion of .the groove, that is, the bottom thereof, having properlyangled or slanted component portions constituting abutments. Theseabutments cooperate with the correspondor threading means for the cover.that this simple and practical construction and arrangement of featuresnot only provides a construction which 3,071,282 Patented Jan. 1, 1963ingly angled or slanted punch-blade and hook detent .to provide asnap-in action and this construction allows the blade and hook-likedetent to be projected when desired for use.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparentfrom the following description and the accompanying illustrativedrawing.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals are employed to designate likeparts throughout the views:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the improved insulated containerconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a section on the central vertical line'2--2 of FIG. '1; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-section on the horizontal line 3-5 of FIG. '2.

The aforementioned outside shell or jacket is denoted by the numeral 6and may be constructed from thin-wall aluminum .or moldable commercialplastics. This shell .or jacket is of vertically elongated form and hasa closed bottom 8 and is open at the top as seen in FiG. 2. The jacketis similar in shape and proportions to the inside container 10, which islikewise constructed from aluminum or plastics. The jacket obviouslyencases the container and the container has a flat bottom 12 and is openat the top. The proportions of parts are such that the upper edgeportions are coplanar or 'flush with each other. These parts are spacedand the intervening space is charged with an appropriate filler 14 ofinsulation material. The upper portion of the insulation materialterminates down from the edges of the jacket and container and anendless plastic or equivalent packing ring 16 is fitted into this space.The packing ring has its upper edge flush with the upper ends of thecontainer and jacket.

Headed or equivalent fasteners or rivets may be employed. These aresometimes referred to as studs and it will be noticed that each stud 18pierces the several parts 6, 10 and 1'6 with the heads 20 exteriorlylocated. The inner protruding ends are formed with ball-like orequivalent terminals or heads 22 which constitute keying and retainingelements for the applicable and removable lid or cover 24. It may bementioned here, before continuing that the size and cross-section of thecomponents described may vary in practice. In the instant showing thejacket and container are each circular in cross-section. 'It followsthat the cover or lid 24 is circular or disk-like in plan. This coverhas a knurled marginal flange 26 which bridges the upper edges of thecontainer andjacket and also the upper edge of the packing ring 16 asbrought out in FIG. 2. If desired, the top may be provided with ashallow recess 28 and a suitable finger-grip 30.

The main or body portion is fashioned into a depending circular plug 32which telescopes into the upper end of the container. This is providedmarginally or periph orally with bayonet slots or threads 34 into whichthe headed ends 22 project and provide the desired keying It has beenfound will appeal to the manufacturer but also provides a liquid-tightclosure for the over-all container.

The bail-like handle or strap 36, of suitable material, has a bight orgripping portion 38 and arms or limbs 40 suitably slotted andremovablyanchored on headed rivets 42 provided therefor as shown inFIGJZ.

As previously mentioned, the jacket 6 may be suitably decorated andreinforced. For instance, as seen in FIG. 1 the lower port-ion is flutedas at 44 thus providing reinforcing ribs 46.

On one side and also at the bottom the jacket is constructed to providea holder and also a handle for a ,projectible and retractible implement.More specifically,

the implement shown comprises a beer can punch 48. The bar or handleportion 50 thereof is provided with slots 52. The projectible andretractible outer end is provided with the customary oblique angledV-shaped or V-pointed punch member 54, an inwardly oifset hook-likedetent 56 and a hump 58, provided by a bent portion, and which may beused as a means of projecting and retracting the punch as herein shownand mounted. To accommodate the punch in its out-of-the-Way or retractedposition the shell or jacket is indented to provide a lengthwise guidekeyway or groove 60. The groove also functions as a sheath in that thepunch is sheathed therein when it is retracted as shown in full lines.The upper or inner end of this indented groove provides a check or stopshoulder 62. The depth of the groove is such that the implement or canpunch 48 is sheathed flush in the groove. The open lower or bottom endof this groove is of special design. That is to say, the bottom isprogressively or gradually deepened as shown in FIG. 2. At the lowermostand deepest end 64 the bottom has an oblique angled abutment or rest 66for the correspondingly angled punch 54. The second oblique angle orslanting bent portion 68 provides a suitable abutment for the hook-likedetent 56. Since the components 54 and 56 are slightly yieldable incharacter and the metal of the shell is springy aluminum or plasticmaterial the retentive action may be thought of as a snap-action. Inother words, the beer can punch 48 can be snapped into its retracted orout-of-the-way position or readily pushed out for can punching needs asshown in dotted lines in FIG. 2.

In connection with this snap-action projectible and retractible featureit may be explained that it is being referred to here in different waysas a slidingly keyed implement or bar and also as a punch. It is withinthe purview of the concept to utilize a similar arrangement andconstruction to that shown by using it as a means for attaching ahand-grip or some other mechanical part (not shown). In other words, theuse of the indented channel or groove and the rivets therein makes itpossible to attach any bar-like member forming a part of a handle, aclamp, a clip or the like.

In actual practice a J-shaped spring clip 70 may be provided as shown,for example, in FIG. 2. This may be a plastic or metal clip sufiicientlystrong and springy to attach firmly to the upper lip or edge of a golfbag. By inverting the holder and clipping it upside-down over the rim atthe mouth of the golf bag, then unscrewing the lid or cover 24, thebottommost can may gravitate for use. Actually, the clip is larger than,but similar to, a pencil or pen pocket clip.

Since the construction and arrangement of component parts is hereinclearly presented by way of the drawing and the accompanyingspecification and claims, a specific description of the mode of use oroperation is believed to be unnecessary.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials, and rearrangement of componentparts may be resorted to in actual practice without departing from thespirit of the invention or the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use in temporarily storing and carrying and otherwise handlinghot and cold commodities for ready use; a portable container comprisingan inside container providing a commodity receptacle and closed at itsbottom and open at its top, said receptable having a cylindrical sidewall, an outside jacket encasing and spaced from said container andlikewise having a closed bottom and open top, the space between thecontainer and jacket being packed with insulation material, the upperopen ends of said jacket and container being coplanar and thereforeflush with each other, a packing ring sandwiched between the upper endportions of the container and jacket, said ring resting atop anunderlying upper portion of said packing material and the top of thering being flush with the upper ends of the container and jacket, saidjacket being constructed from sheet material and being provided on oneside portion thereof with a lengthwise indentation projecting inwardlyinto the space between the jacket and the container Without interferingwith the cylindrical contour of the receptacle provided by saidcontainer, said indentation providing a vertical channel-like groove atthe outside of the jacket, said groove being closed at its upper end andproviding a stop shoulder and opening at its lower end through thebottom of the jacket, and a projectible and retractible blade-likemember slidingly keyed in said groove, said groove providing a guide,said blade-like member being operable within the confines of saidgroove, and one end being extendable beyond the bottom of the jacket,the lower extendable end of said blade-like member being formed into andpro viding a can opening punch, the latter including an oblique angledV-pointed can penetrating blade pitched and angled toward the bottom ofthe groove and a hook-like oblique angled can engaging detent at theinner end of the blade, and the cooperating surface portions of thebottom of said groove being progressively deepened and slanted toprovide abutments against which the correspondingly slanted blade anddetent yieldingly and frictionally rest when not in use, thus providingsnap-action retention for the blade as an entity.

2. For use in temporarily storing and carrying and otherwise handlinghot and cold commodities for ready use; a portable container comprisingan inside container providing a commodity receptacle and closed at itsbottom and open at its top, said receptacle having a cylindrical sidewall, an outside jacket encasing and spaced from said container andlikewise having a closed bottom and Open top, the space between thecontainer and jacket being packed with insulating material, the upperopen ends of said jacket and container being coplanar and thereforeflush with each other, a packing ring sandwiched between the upper endportions of the container and jacket, said ring resting atop anunderlying upper portion of said packing material and the top of thering being flush with the upper ends of the container and jacket, saidjacket being constructed from sheet material and being provided on oneside portion thereof with a lengthwise indentation projecting inwardlyinto the space between the jacket and the container without interferingwith the cylindrical contour of the receptacle provided by saidcontainer, said indentation providing a channel-like groove at theoutside of the jacket, said groove being closed at one end, open at theother end and the bottom thereof having headed rivets, a beer can punchhaving a slotted shank operatively connected with the rivets andslidingly mounted in said groove, said punch having cooperating obliqueangled punch and hook components at the other end, the coacting bottomportions of said groove adjacent the open end of the groove having innerand outer oblique angled surfaces defining abutments, the latterprogressively slanted so that they conformingly yieldingly andfrictionally cooperate with their respectively coacting punch and hookcomponents and serve to retain the punch in a re tracted out-of-useposition but allow the punch and hook components to be slid wholly outthrough the adjacent open end of the groove for unrestricted use.

3. A can container comprising a wall having an external groove thereinopen at one end, a can opener slidable in the groove and projectablethrough the open end thereof to an operative position beyond thecontainer, means for slidably securing the opener in the groove, andmeans for securing the opener in retracted position in the groove, thefirst-named means including rivets mounted at spaced points in thegroove, said opener comprising a bar operable in the groove and havinglongitudinal slots therein slidably receiving said rivets and furthercomprising a blade-like can punch on one end of said bar, the lastnamedmeans including an abutment in the bottom of the groove, said openerstill further comprising a hookisbii 5 like detent engageable with theabutment for frictional retention thereby.

4. A container in accordance with claim 3, said lastnamed means furtherincluding another abutment in said bottom of said groove at said openend thereof and engageable by said punch.

Mosler Apr. 2, 1907 Decker et a1. Nov. 19, 1912 6 Schwark Oct. 2, 1951Fried Apr. 30, 1957 Polazzolo Oct. 1, 1957 Sommerfeld Jan. 7, 1958Hosford Mar. 25, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Jan. 22, 1898 GreatBritain July 27, 1922 Australia July 4, 1932 Great Britain Aug. 4, 1939

2. FOR USE IN TEMPORARILY STORING AND CARRYING AND OTHERWISE HANDLINGHOT AND COLD COMMODITIES FOR READY USE; A PORTABLE CONTAINER COMPRISINGAN INSIDE CONTAINER PROVIDING A COMMODITY RECEPTACLE AND CLOSED AT ITSBOTTOM AND OPEN AT ITS TOP, SAID RECEPTACLE HAVING A CYLINDRICAL SIDEWALL, AN OUTSIDE JACKET ENCASING AND SPACED FROM SAID CONTAINER ANDLIKEWISE HAVING A CLOSED BOTTOM AND OPEN TOP, THE SPACE BETWEEN THECONTAINER AND JACKET BEING PACKED WITH INSULATING MATERIAL, THE UPPEROPEN ENDS OF SAID JACKET AND CONTAINER BEING COPLANAR AND THEREFOREFLUSH WITH EACH OTHER, A PACKING RING SANDWICHED BETWEEN THE UPPER ENDPORTIONS OF THE CONTAINER AND JACKET, SAID RING RESTING ATOP ANUNDERLYING UPPER PORTION OF SAID PACKING MATERIAL AND THE TOP OF THERING BEING FLUSH WITH THE UPPER ENDS OF THE CONTAINER AND JACKET, SAIDJACKET BEING CONSTRUCTED FROM SHEET MATERIAL AND BEING PROVIDED ON ONESIDE PORTION THREREOF WITH A LENGTHWISE INDENTATION PROJECTING INWARDLYINTO THE SPACE BETWEEN THE JACKET AND THE CONTAINER WITHOUT INTERFERINGWITH THE CYLINDRICAL CONTOUR OF THE RECEPTACLE PROVIDED BY SAIDCONTAINER, SAID INDENTATION PROVIDING A CHANNEL-LIKE GROOVE AT THEOUTSIDE OF THE JACKE, SAID GROOVE BEING CLOSED AT ONE END, OPEN AT THEOTHER END AND THE BOTTOM THEREOF HAVING HEADED RIVETS, A BEER CAN PUNCHHAVING A SLOTTED SHANK OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH THE RIVETS ANDSLIDINGLY MOUNTED IN SAID GROOVE, SAID PUNCH HAVING COOPERATING OBLIQUEANGLED PUNCH AND HOOK COMPONENTS AT THE OTHER END, THE COACTING BOTTOMPORTIONS OF SAID GROOVE ADJACENT THE OPEN END OF THE GROOVE HAVING INNERAND OUTER OBLIQUE ANGLED SURFACES DEFINING ABUTMENTS, THE LATTERPROGRESSIVELY SLANTED SO THAT THEY CONFORMINGLY YIELDINGLY ANDFRICTIONALLY COOPERATE WITH THEIR RESPECTIVELY COACTING PUNCH AND HOOKCOMPONENTS AND SERVE TO RETAIN THE PUNCH IN A RETRACTED OUT-OF-USEPOSITION BUT ALLOW THE PUNCH AND HOOK COMPONENTS TO BE SLID WHOLLY OUTTHROUGH THE ADJACENT OPEN END OF THE GROOVE FOR UNRESTRICTED USE.